Christians believe that Jesus
saved us from sin, death, and the power of the devil by dying
on the cross for our sins.

Because of all Jesus has
done for us, we live out thankful lives full of gratitude to God each day.

But even though we are
safe from all bad things in the next life, sin still exists in
this world, and things sometimes go very badly for us.

At the worst of times,
we know that Jesus stands beside us, and that God always wants
to hear about every single detail of what is going wrong for us
when we pray.

Many Christians have been
tortured and even killed for their belief in Jesus throughout
the years. But, like Paul, who wrote this
passage, they suffered gladly, because they knew God was with
them in both bad times and good.

This sureness of the presence
and grace of God makes us stronger and often causes things to
go better: we know that God cares about us, and that we are not
alone in our troubles.